Coin or token operated device



March 23, 1954 E. E. YORK COIN 0R TOKEN OPERATED DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet IFiled Dec. 1, 1950 March 23, 1954 E. Yb

COIN OR TOKEN OPERATED DEVICE Filed Dec. 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Mar. 23, 1954 COIN OR TOKEN OPERATED DEVICE Ernest E. York,Falmouth Corner, Maine, as-

signor to American Coin Changer Corp., Boston, Mass., a corporation ofMaine Application December 1, 1950, Serial No. 198,599 I 3 Claims.

By invention relates coin or token operated ticularly relates to animprovement in automatic machines such as are used in the vending ofbeverages, confections and other products.

In the case of such machines it is necessary to prevent or arrest theacceptance of coins during delivery of the product and during periodswhen the machine is out of product. Where, the machine is of the typedelivering change with the product, when change is due, it is furthernecessary to prevent the acceptance of coins of a value greater than theprice of the product when the number of coins in the change magazine isinadequate to make the required change. The present invention isespecially concerned with machines of the latter type.

The means employed to accomplish the above functions conventionallycomprises a plurality of coin reject arms mounted adjacent the cointracks through which the coins are caused to to an improvement indevices and more partravel subsequent to their classification. Each ofthese arms is hingedly mounted on its support and is springorweight-loaded so that the arm is constantly urged toward thecorresponding coin track, which is suitably apertured to receive afinger carried by the arm, the finger being adapted to deflect coinstraveling the track into a chute extending to a coin return box. In itsnormal position the arm is held away from the coin track by anelectromagnet which forms part of the electrical system of the machineand is de-energized only during delivery of the prodnot or on themachine arriving at one of the other conditions previously indicated.

My invention has for its principal object to provide reject arms whichmay be employed in a machine of the change-making type, whether themachine is set for operation by the lowest denomination of coin acceptedby the machine or by a coin of a value intermediate the value of thelowest denomination of coin accepted and the value or the highestdenomination of coin accepted. Always heretofore it has'been necessaryin the changing of the setting of such machines to install a completelynew set of reject arms, a procedure which "is quite time-consuming andfrequently beyond the capabilities of the route man or other individualcharged with attending the machine.

I shall particularly describe my invention with reference to theaccompanying drawings illusmating the saine as applied to a machineaccepting coins of three values. For the purpose of the description, itwill be assumed that the accepted coins are nickels, dimes and quarters.In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a vend Referring first toFig. 1, the numeral I0 de-' notes a conventional slug rejector-coinclassifier unit receiving coins through the usual slot in the casing ofthe machine. The classified coins are directed into coin tracks orpassageways l4, I6 and I 8, track It being the dime track, track I6 thenickel track, and track 18 the quarter track. Coins received by track I2are coins detected as spurious by the unit l0.

Adjacent track I8 is a coin return chute 20 extending to a coin returnbox or dish, not shown, which may be formed in the casing of the vendingmachine. Chute 20 communicates with the tracks l2, I4, I5 and [8 viabranch chutes 2|, 2|, 22 and 24 respectively, coins entering chute 2|from the track I4 passing through an opening 26 in the left-hand sidewall of such track, then rearwardly into chute 2!.

Fixed to a supporting plate 28 (Fig. 2) behind the rear walls of thecoin tracks l4, I6 and 18, which walls will be noted as apertured at ll,l5 and H, are a pair of bracket members '30 and 32, each of which has anelectromagnet, 36 secured to its vertically disposed portion. Thesebrackets serve as supports for reject members 38 and 40 respectively,the reject members being hingedly connected to the arms 42, 44 of thebrackets at the ends thereof. A tension 46 anchored to reject member 38and the corresponding bracket tends to member toward the coin tracks,while a spring 48 exerts a similar effect on reject member 40. Normally,this action is prevented by the electromagnets which, when energized,attract the reject members.

In accordance with the invention, reject mem-- ber 3&3 (Figs. 5 and 6)is formed to comprise a fixed finger so and a pivoted arm 52 carrying afinger '54 integral with the arm. A spring 56 anchored to the body ofthe reject member and to the arm 52 operates to hold the arm in either.of two positions, as indicated by thestops 58 and vBil. Reject memberto, like member 38, comprises (Figs. 3 and 4) a finger B2 integral withthe body spring swing the reject I thereof and a pivoted arm 64 carryinga finger 66. Arm 64 is held in either of two positions, as indicated bythe stops 68 and 10, by a tension spring 12 anchored to the body of thereject member and to the finger 56 at a point near its base.

The setting of the pivotally mounted arms 52 and 54 is determined by thesetting of the machine, reference being made in this connection to Fig.1 wherein the straight dot lines indicate the position of the arms whenthe machine is set for vending a five-cent article, while thedot-anddash lines indicate their position when the purchase price of thearticle is ten cents. It is believed evident that on a change in thesetting of the machine, the necessary adjustment of the reject membersconsists simply of lowering one of the pivoted arms and raising theother. This markedly speeds the change-over as a whole, which isobviously advantageous, particularly when it is considered that in theusual case the machine is just one of perhaps several hundred, all ofwhich must be adjusted.

A typical vending machine, equipped according to my invention, operatesas follows:

MACHINE SET TO DISPENSE A FIVE-CENT ARTICLE Operation with a five-centpiece (Product in the machine) The nickel enters the five-cent trackfrom the slug rejector-coin classifier unit. Finger 62 of reject member40 being held out of the track by the electromagnet 36, the coin passesthe level of the aperture l5 to strike a coin actuable switch armtherebelow. Closing of the switch energizes the vending circuit,resulting in delivery of the product. The circuit including theelectromagnets is open during the delivery period irrespective of thecoin used to operate the machine; accordingly any coin inserted duringsuch period is diverted into the coil return chute 20.

The five-cent piece actuating the switch arm is directed into avertically disposed tubular change magazine positioned over a pair ofsolenoid controlled slides apertured in correspondence with the diameterof a five-cent piece, the apertures registering with each other and withthe chamber of the magazine. The lower slide has the thickness of afive-cent piece, the upper the thickness of three five-cent pieces. Anyexcess five-cent pieces directed to the tubular magazine are deflectedto a coin collection box.

Operation with a fiue-centpieoe (No product condition) The nickel entersthe five-cent track as before but is diverted by finger 62 into chute213 for return to the patron, this action following from the fact thatthe electromagnets are in circuit with a. switch which is opened on themachine running out of product.

Operation with a ten-cent piece (Product in the machine and change inthe change magazine) The coin enters the ten-cent track, i. e., trackl4, passing the level of the aperture II into engagement with a switcharm therebelow. Closing of the switch completes the vending circuit andalso completes a circuit including the solenoid controlling the ten-centslide under the change magazine. Accordingly, the patron receives asingle five-cent piece in addition to the merchandisc.

Operation with a ten-cent piece (Machine out of product or supply offive-cent pieces in change magazine exhausted) Operation with atwenty-five-cent piece (Product in the machine and change in the changemagazine) The coin is directed into the quarter track, i. e., track l8,and passes the level of the aperture l'l into engagement with a switcharm therebelow. Closing of the switch energizes the vending circuit andalso the circuit including the solenoids, both of which are actuated todeliver four fivecent pieces with the merchandise. During delivery ofthe mechandise, the electromagnets are de-energized as usual so that anycoins inserted are returned to the patron via the chute 20.

Operation with a twenty-five-cent piece (Machine out of product orchange) The coin is diverted into the chute 20 for return to thecustomer. If the machine is out of change only, nickels continue to beaccepted.

MACHINE SET TO DISPENSE A TEN-CENT ARTICLE As previously explained, thissetting as to the reject members involves nothing more than raisin arm52 of reject member 38 and lowering arm 64 of reject member 46.

Nickel operation the machine is not out of product,

the level of the aper- Assuming the first nickel, on passing ture i5,strikes an arm which is thereby positioned to actuate the ten-centswitch when struck by the second nickel. On this happening, the vendingcircuit is energized and the product delivered. The nickels are directedto the tubular change coin magazine now mounting only one aperturedslide of a thickness corresponding to that of three five-cent pieces.

During delivery of the product, both electromagnets are de-encrgized,any coin inserted during the delivery function consequently beingdirected into the chute 26 for return to the patron. This appliesirrespective of the coin used to operate the machine.

Ten-cent operation The quarter enters the track l8 and, assuming productand change in the machine, passes the level of the aperture H intoengagement with a switch arm therebelow. Closing of the switch energizesthe vending circuit and the change circuit, the patron receiving threefive-cent pieces with his purchase.

Having thus described and illustrated my invention what I claim is:

1. In a coin operated vending machine having a plurality of coin tracksfor reception of coins of different values, a coin reject member mountedfor movement toward and away from said tracks, said reject member havinga first deflector fixed thereto for entry into one of said tracks uponmovement of said member toward said tracks, and a second deflectorpivotally mounted thereon swingable to and from a position to enteranother of said tracks and a position in which it will not enter any ofsaid tracks upon movement of said reject member toward said tracks.

2. In a coin operated vending machine having a plurality of coin tracksfor reception of coins of different values, a spring-biased coin rejectmember mounted for swinging movement toward and away from said tracks,and means for moving said member against said spring loading, saidreject member having a first deflector fixed thereto for entry into oneof said tracks upon movement of said member toward said tracks, and asecond deflector pivotally mounted thereon for snap action to and from aposition to enter another of said tracks and a position in which it willnot enter any of said tracks upon movement of said reject member towardsaid tracks.

3. In a coin operated vending machine, the combination of a plurality ofcoin tracks for the reception of coins of low, intermediate and highvalue, each said track having an aperture therein, a pair of rejectmembers mounted for movement to and from said coin tracks, each saidmember being biased for movement toward said tracks, and means forrestraining each said member against such movement, the first saidreject member having a deflector fixed thereto in position to enter theaperture in the high value coin track and a second deflector pivotallymounted thereon swingable to and from a position to enter the aperturein said intermediate value coin track and a position in which it willnot enter said aperture upon movement of said first reject member towardsaid tracks, said second reject member having a deflector fixed theretoin a position to enter the aperture in the low value coin track and asecond deflector pivotally mounted thereon swingable to and from aposition to enter said aperture in said intermediate value coin trackand a position in which it will not enter said aperture upon movement ofsaid second reject member toward said tracks.

ERNEST E. YORK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

